


The Venice Brigantine

by carraville



Series: what actually happened [6]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Historical References, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 07:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19001245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carraville/pseuds/carraville
Summary: All the information gathered along the way told the sailors that no one was coming to save Constantinople. There were only two roads in front of Feli and his gang: now that the isolated Constantinople was beyond resurrection, the walls that had withstood so many times Islamic attacks were destined to fall this time, their best option would be to may as well take the brig back to Italy, back to the western Christian world ; or, they could carry out the mission entrusted to them by Constantine xi, return to the Constantinople that was in the vortex of suffering, and bring the desperate news to the emperor. Whether Constantinople was in the hands of Turks or Christians at this moment, whether they went on this trip alive or dead, they had to go back.





	The Venice Brigantine

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: this part contains more ‘humans’ than ‘countries’.  
> The references for this part: 1453:the holy war for Constantinople and the clash of Islam and the west (Roger Crowley), Chapter 11 (the terrifying machine).
> 
> I finally began to read this very famous series. I couldn't help writing this fic after finishing the first one. For myself, what moves me the most in this book, is not Ottoman’s valor and endless sacrifice; not the spectacle of battles; not the battle of wits and bravery between the besiegers and defenders; not those solemn and sacred scenes of prayer, but the little interlude I described below.  
> The italics were borrowed directly from the book. Because I read the Chinese version, I translated the sentences back into English, so they’re not completely consistent with the original sentences in the book, but the meaning should be almost the same.

On May 3, 1453, an important meeting was held at the palace of Constantinople. It was attended by commanders, civil dignitaries and churchmen involved in the defense battle of Constantinople. Besides the Greeks, there were the Venetians, the Genoese, and very few Spaniards.

Heracles(Greece) sat aside with Feli in his arms, watching as their bosses, Constantine xi and Giustiniani, presided over the meeting. This was a noisy debating meeting.

Over a month had passed since the first Ottoman siege. Although the defenders inside Constantinople had been able to withstand the Ottomans' shelling, huge-crowd strategy, surprise attacks, naval battles and even tunnel attacks, the undermanned defenders had suffered heavy losses. __E_ xhaustion, hunger and despair began to take a heavy toll on the defenders._

The Venetians lost more than 80 of their closest brothers after the night raid on April 28. This failure provoked suspicion and blame among the originally disunited Christian union, and eventually Constantine xi himself had to intervene. Heracles and Feli’s bosses had called the meeting to discuss how to deal with their precarious situation. They were still making a final effort to keep Constantinople in the Christian world.

However, after the meeting began, the factions resumed their old quarrels and temporarily put the discussion of countermeasures aside.

“We need an explanation for the sacrifices of our brothers. The Turks had apparently been tipped off about our night raid. It must be the Genoese in Galata who slipped them the news!” The Venetians said.

“Things wouldn't be this bad if your night raid had gone the way we planned.” Retorted the Genoese, “After all, you're probably just looking for chance to sneak back to Italy when you get out of the city. We are different. Our home is in Galata (the city built by the Genoese there), so we will stay here till the last possible moment.”

“Who else would be able to tip off the sultan except you? !” the Greeks interjected, “Galata's attitude in this battle has always been ambiguous.”

“If we don't stay neutral, our city will suffer first! We risked the wrath of the Turks by allowing you to tie the chains of the Golden horn to our walls!” the Genoese retorted, “But you, the true inhabitants of Constantinople, we have seen you give up repairing the broken walls and go home to feed your families first.”

“Our home is right here. If I can't feed my family, what's the use of saving the wall?!” Refuted the Greeks.

“Let's take the Eucharist also as relief supplies. I guarantee that every soldier's family will be well cared for. ” Heracles's boss, Constantine xi, finally spoke.

“How could we do that?!” the church people could not sit still, “This is an insult to god, and the city will suffer even more because of it!”

“I've made up my mind.” Said Constantine xi calmly. He then turned to Feli's boss, Giustiniani of Genoa. After Constantinople's helpless cry for help to the western Christian world, only Giustiniani and his 700 Italian sailors spent their own money for this expedition. They had no obligation to give their lives to save this holy city, but the ideal in their hearts drove them to such a feat. “General, what do you think we should do next?”

“Before we discuss that, I think we should address your safety first.” Giustiniani thoughtfully said, “Of course I will do everything in my power to protect this wall that has stood for thousands of years, but I can't be sure I will achieve my goal in the end. So, you should find a way for the future. I can offer you my galei. You can escape Constantinople and wait for comeback in the Peloponnese.”

Constantine xi was silent, apparently considering the proposal from Feli's boss. He looked at the participants and asked if they supported the proposal. Most nodded. He then looked at Heracles and asked him: “If I were to escape, would you follow me?”

Heracles shook his head calmly and replied slowly: “My home is here.”

Constantine xi was silent again. Soon, big tears began to come out of his eyes. He spoke affectionately to everyone present: “ _I admire and appreciate your advice, and I thank each of you, because this advice is in my interest. It must be. But how could I do it? How can I leave the church, the church of god, the empire and all the people here? Please tell me, what would the world think of me if I run away? No, my lords, no. I would like to die here with you._ ”

The emperor bowed to the attendee and wept his heart out. Many people at the meeting were in tears.

Then he offered a more pragmatic suggestion. He suggested that the Venetians should secretly send a ship out of the city to the Aegean sea in search of a possible western rescue fleet. Before long a dozen Italians accepted the emperor's suggestion. Giustiniani made sure Feli followed them on board the Venice brigantine, because he trusted Feli's knowledge of the sea.

The brig disguised as a Turkish ship and successfully escaped from Constantinople——the most fertile Christian holy city in the past, the hell under Ottoman fire right now.

In mid-May, with Feli's help, the ship sailed quickly across all the islands. However, no sign of a rescue fleet was found. The information Feli got from the passing Italian merchant ships was: _the Venetian fleet was on the open sea near Greece, discreetly searching for information about the intentions of the Ottoman navy; the galei the Pope had rented from Venice (_ the Pope had promised Constantinople to send ships to help _) was still under construction......_

All the information gathered along the way told the sailors that no one was coming to save Constantinople. There were only two roads in front of Feli and his gang: now that the isolated Constantinople was beyond resurrection, the walls that had withstood so many times Islamic attacks were destined to fall this time, their best option would be to may as well take the brig back to Italy, back to the western Christian world ; or, they could carry out the mission entrusted to them by Constantine xi, return to the Constantinople that was in the vortex of suffering, and bring the desperate news to the emperor. _Whether Constantinople was in the hands of Turks or Christians at this moment, whether they went on this trip alive or dead, they had to go back._

A drastic discussion was unfold on the deck. At last they decided to vote. The result was that the option to return to Constantinople lead one vote, and everyone looked at Feli, who was several heads lower than them.

“Ita-chan,” one sailor said, “Now, it's your turn to vote. You are special, so we agree you can vote for two.”

In fact, Feli had already made his choice in mind. He walked up to the group that had agreed to return to Constantinople and put his little hand over theirs.

****

The Venice brig returned to Constantinople on May 23 and broke the bad news to the emperor himself. Constantine xi thanked the honor bound sailors who had decided to come back, and then began to cry in despair. He eventually realized that the Christian world hadn't even sent a single rescue ship. He, Heracles and the Greeks finally realized that all hope of survival of their thousand-year-existed home has been gone.

After that, Constantine xi and Giustiniani, with their few thousand remaining soldiers, did their best to defend the city. They fought hard and overcame one trouble after another caused by the Ottomans. Not until May 29, 1453, did Constantinople fall completely. This was the 48th day of the Ottoman siege. Since then, Constantinople had become the past, only existing in history and legend.

Since the Ottoman wiped out the city after the victory of the siege, most of those legendary Constantinople buildings can’t no more be found in modern times. Only the magnificent wall of Theodosius is still of awe-inspiring appearance, welcoming the visitors from all over the world every day.

Before Constantinople fell completely, many Italians had fled the city by ships, but the Italians from Crete held on to the towers near the Golden Horn until the last moment. The Ottoman Empire’s boss, Mehmet ii, was unable to kick them out so he had to negotiate with them. He promised them that if they gave up the wall, they could leave freely. After some hesitation, the Cretans left the already fallen city in their own ships.

Feli also followed his boss back to Italy by ship. Only when they returned did the western Christian world begin to panic that Constantinople had fallen into the hands of pagans. Giustiniani was seriously injured in the siege. When he returned to Italy, he was condemned by everyone for his poor defense of the holy city, and soon died of his wounds and shame.

The fate of the Greeks was even more strenuous and difficult. They went on to live the life that all post-war refugees would live: Slavery, humiliation and displaced. Their last emperor, Constantine xi, was killed on the day of May 29, but how and where he died, and the whereabouts of his body, left unknown. The Greeks made up many beautiful stories for him because of it. One thing, at least, was certain: he had fulfilled his promise to serve his country with his life.

Fine.


End file.
